What the fishmonger knows

Picking the freshest catch is easy with these tips, according to experts at local Giant Foods and ShopRite stores.

The best thing you can do is talk to your seafood manager, said Paul Barbato, assistant store manager in charge of perishables at ShopRite in Stroudsburg. The manager will tell you what came in fresh that day. The Stroudsburg store is part of a chain with its own seafood warehouse with buyers all over New York, including Fulton Fish Market.

Barbato said that his store keeps fish for 36 hours. After that, if it isn't up to par, it is thrown out. If it is up to par, the price will be reduced or it is converted into cakes, pasta or salad, all with a maximum shelf life of 48 hours.

Giant has a two-day rule, according to Curtis Kirkpatrick, assistant store manager for the Bartonsville location. "Two days and it must be discarded. Giant is very strict about sales," he said.

Fish displays are set up early in the morning, so that is the best time to shop. "Be skeptical of a store that has a full-to-the-hilt seafood counter at night," Barbato said.

Fish: Look for firmness in the flesh, Barbato said. Does the fish look mushy? Is there "weepage," which means that water is collecting in the tray under the fish? Since fish is mainly water, clear weepage is acceptable, while cloudy is not.

Avoid fish that appears gray or isn't as bright as another one, said Steve Wilcox, seafood associate for the Bartonsville Giant.

If the fish is whole (called a headfish in market terms), look at its eyes, Wilcox said. "The eyes should be bright and not sunken, and its skin should be shiny. With a fillet, the flesh should look moist and bright in color. Bright white or pink."

Customers can look for a tag that reads "color added," Wilcox said. This isn't a bad thing. "The skin of farm-raised salmon is orange from beta carotene, which is added to their diet as a natural supplement."

Shrimp: There is a large vein that runs along the shrimp's back, carrying waste. Think of it as the shrimp's large intestine. Shrimp can be sold as deveined, which means the vein has been removed. Shrimp can also be sold with the vein and shell. It's important to remove both before cooking. A black vein means the shrimp was caught before it could do its business.

Lobster: The best indicator of health is feistiness, Barbato said. "When the lobster is taken out of the tank, its arms should raise, its tail should open and the little feet and antennae should all be moving," he said. "If everything sags when it's pulled out of the tank, it's probably dead."

Wilcox said that the lobster may be dormant and so may need a tap to wake up. A truly dead lobster will be belly-up in the tank.

Lobsters can last up to five days in a good tank, but most only stay in the tank three to four days, Barbato said.

If you really want to impress your fishmonger, ask if the store purges its lobster tank. Purging is the process by which excrement is removed from the lobsters.

Since they are transported in cardboard boxes packed with a cooling agent, such as seaweed or wet newspapers, lobsters become dormant. Once they arrive at the store, they are put into a saltwater tank or bucket to "wake up" and expel feces. After that occurs, they are moved to the sale tank.

Lobsters are not fed in the sale tank, so the water should be crystal-clear, said Wilcox. If you crack open a cooked lobster and find lots of green slime around where the tail connects to the body, that's excrement. If you see pinkish red balls or chunks, that's roe or eggs and is edible.

Both Giant and ShopRite purge their lobsters. "It's something that everyone should be doing," said Wilcox.

Barbato also suggests that if the price is low, ask whether the lobsters are new shell. New-shell lobsters must be purged because they have gorged themselves and have enough energy to shed their old shells and grow a new, larger one. You can still buy non-purged new shells, but you'll have to discard the waste. He added that this year is different. Because of the bumper crop of lobsters, prices are low.

Wilcox noted that algae grows naturally on the sale tank. A good store takes care of this routinely, but a sign of algae isn't a deal breaker.

Fish: The best gauge to use is your nose, Barbato said. "A fish counter should not smell like fish. If you walk in and there's a bad odor, don't shop there." It's perfectly OK to ask the fishmonger if you can hold the fillet or headfish to give it a sniff test, he said.

Lobster: The sale tank should not have a smell — especially of ammonia, said Wilcox. A smell means that the lobsters haven't been purged and they are using the tank as a potty.

Fish: Along with giving the fish a sniff test, it's OK to hold it and push lightly on it for firmness, Barbato said.

Shellfish: If you are buying shellfish that is already bagged, such as clams or mussels, pick up the bag and look to see if the shells are open or closed. Since shellfish are live invertebrates, shells should be closed. If a shell is open, give it a light tap. It should close. Shells that remain open mean the shellfish are dead. Do not buy them.

Fish: Fish is sold as either fresh or previously frozen. Either is acceptable. Many fish must be frozen because of transport time. Fish caught off Alaska obviously must be frozen. Some fish are labeled IQF, which means "immediately quick frozen." These fish are filleted and frozen right at the docks and are usually purchased in bags.

Freezing will reduce color quality, but it's still good to eat. If in doubt about the display, ask, Barbato said.

He also advised to stay away from any fish caught on the Eastern seaboard that is frozen. "I would be skeptical of buying frozen Atlantic salmon since we're so close to the source and there's such availability," he said.

Shrimp: Since most comes from Asia, it has to be frozen. "That's why fresh shrimp from the Gulf is so expensive," Barbato said. He added that he would have no problem purchasing frozen shrimp, whether bagged or from a display, since it is the No. 1-selling seafood in the United States, and therefore has a high and fast turnover rate.

Wilcox said that frozen shrimp is farm-raised and is deglazed to remove some ice when it's unpacked for the display case. Wild caught domestic shrimp comes to the store fresh.

Regarding recent news stories about the dangers of imported shrimp, Barbato refutes them. While exporting countries, including Indonesia, Korea and Thailand, do not have fish inspectors, ShopRite's parent company does. Wakefern inspects all seafood before it is shipped to stores, he said. Shrimp are checked for iodine levels, and only those falling within guidelines are sold. Shoppers can check the bag for a COOL (country of origin label) and can ask the fish department about its inspection criteria, Barbato said.

If the fish is previously frozen and then thawed at the store, don't refreeze it because you'll lose quality, Barbato said. Since fish are mainly water, freezing, thawing and refreezing makes the flesh mushy as water expands and contracts. Ask the fishmonger if you aren't sure.

If you are defrosting frozen fish, Barbato suggests using it within two days.

Fresh seafood should be used within two days.

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